New York, U.S., September 22, 2026
Envisagenics and Boehringer Ingelheim have entered a multi-year research collaboration and option agreement focused on discovering and validating tumor-specific therapeutic targets derived from alternative RNA splicing for the development of precision medicines for hard-to-treat solid tumors. The collaboration combines Envisagenics’ artificial intelligence-powered SpliceCore® platform with Boehringer Ingelheim’s oncology drug-development expertise to explore new therapeutic opportunities that could address cancers where existing treatment options remain limited. Under the agreement, Envisagenics is eligible to receive more than $1 billion in potential payments, including an upfront payment, research funding, option fees, development, regulatory and commercial milestones, as well as royalties on future product sales.
AI Platform Opens New Oncology Target Space
The collaboration will use SpliceCore®, Envisagenics’ proprietary AI-powered platform, to investigate alternative RNA splicing events and identify targets that may be highly specific to tumor cells. Alternative RNA splicing is a biological process through which RNA transcripts can be assembled in different ways, allowing a single gene to produce multiple protein isoforms. In cancer, abnormal splicing can generate tumor-specific protein variants that may provide opportunities for selective therapeutic targeting. Envisagenics says its platform combines artificial intelligence, large-scale transcriptomics and experimental validation to systematically identify and prioritize disease-specific targets. The platform has screened more than 14 million distinct RNA splicing events, helping evaluate factors such as disease specificity, patient prevalence and potential therapeutic suitability.
For precision oncology, identifying targets that are present predominantly in cancer cells is an important area of research because such targets could potentially enable therapies designed to distinguish malignant tissue from healthy tissue. The companies intend to further validate selected targets identified through the SpliceCore platform and determine their suitability for therapeutic development. This approach expands target discovery beyond conventional gene-centric strategies by examining the molecular consequences of RNA processing within tumors.
Multiple Therapeutic Modalities to Be Explored
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Boehringer Ingelheim will evaluate selected targets across several next-generation cancer treatment modalities, including antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), T-cell engagers and multispecific antibodies. These approaches can use molecular targets on cancer cells to deliver therapeutic activity or engage the immune system against malignant cells. Following successful completion of the research program, Boehringer Ingelheim will have the option to exclusively license selected targets for further development and commercialization.
The agreement therefore combines target discovery with downstream therapeutic expertise, potentially allowing promising RNA-splicing-derived targets to progress into different types of precision cancer medicines. The financial terms reflect the potential scale of the collaboration, with Envisagenics eligible for more than $1 billion in aggregate potential payments. The company has not disclosed the individual amounts associated with the upfront payment, option fees or specific development and commercial milestones.
Expanding Precision Oncology Drug Discovery
The collaboration adds to Envisagenics’ broader strategy of using RNA biology and AI-driven target discovery to identify therapeutic opportunities in oncology and neurodegenerative diseases. The company says its platform is designed to uncover disease-specific splicing events that may be difficult to identify through conventional approaches. Envisagenics is also advancing its own therapeutic pipeline, including ENV-375, a preclinical antisense oligonucleotide program for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, alongside oncology programs involving ADCs, T-cell engagers, multispecific antibodies and other emerging therapeutic modalities.
For Boehringer Ingelheim, the collaboration supports its efforts to expand its oncology pipeline through novel biological targets and differentiated therapeutic modalities. The companies will now work to validate selected RNA-splicing-derived targets and assess their potential for developing precision therapies against solid tumors. While the collaboration represents an important drug-discovery milestone, the targets and resulting therapies remain in the research and development stage, and their clinical potential will depend on successful validation and subsequent development.
Source: Envisagenics, Boehringer Ingelheim press release
